Hello everyone!

Re: postpartum depression, a dear friend of mine needs your collective
Lactnet wisdom. She is currently 20 weeks pregnant (first baby) at age
42, after having adopted a newborn last November! Starting in 1993, she
went through infertility treatments including Clomid, Pergonal and
progesterone (hormone hell) for 2 years. (This included GIFT and in
vitro attempts.) In the past year, she was laid off from her beloved
hospital administration job, her father died and her husband was laid
off also. She and hubbie live in different households as his consulting
job is 3 hours from her house. She became depressed last year and was
put on anti-depressants. Here's the current problem: she just completed
several ECT(shock therapy) treatments which appear to have *cured* the
major depression she developed last December after learning she was
pregnant. (Medications had failed to alleviate this totally
incapacitating depression.) The docs have told her that her depression
was caused by her "unusual sensitivity" to hormones. Any opinions from
mental health experts?

This very bright lady is an RN and has a Master's degree in
administration. She'd always assumed that she'd breastfeed one day.
Now she is understandably terrified of possible postpartum depression
since her recent depression had her thinking she was near death
(as opposed to suicide). She is currently taking the antidepressant
Serzine (Nefazodone).

Her questions to you are:

1. Are there any appropriate antidepressants she could take while
breastfeeding?
2. Is there ANY chance that the hormones circulating during lactation
could increase her risk of postpartum depression? She's really been
spooked by the psychiatrist's explanation.(With her connections, she's
seen the *very best* doctors available.)
3. Does anyone know about the outcomes of cases where depression was
treated with ECT during pregnancy?

One more note, she had an older (adult) brother who committed suicide
many years ago. She's been told his illness was different from hers.

All thoughts are welcome!!

TIA,
Diana
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P.S. Thanks to those of you who've mailed your Lactnet T-shirt order.